


bury the coins on your eyes

by dontcallmeking



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Ghost/Living Person AU, M/M, beware of haunted volleyballs at your local gym, but he knows somethings going on, hinata doesnt know whats going on, other characters mentioned or make minor appearances, tsukishima should be a ghost buster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 07:24:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4051384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontcallmeking/pseuds/dontcallmeking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio are an unlikely duo -mostly because Kageyama Tobio is, in fact, a ghost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	bury the coins on your eyes

Shouyou had never been what one would call “superstitious.” Sure, he’d suffered sleepless nights after watching horror movies, and sometimes he’d say a little prayer when he thought he heard something move in the night, but he didn’t _honestly_ believe in spirits. People just died, and even with ancestor veneration present in his family’s life and his own upbringing, Shouyou couldn’t say for certain what happened to people when they died.

Shouyou had never believed in ghosts. He’d never believed in them, that is, until he woke up one night in a cold sweat, chilled to the bone, as he watched his volleyball roll around the stack of boxes that had just fallen over.

Shouyou closed his eyes tightly, squeezing the covers in his hands as he willed away whatever was in his room with him. There was a thud as the volleyball slammed into his bed. He opened his eyes and with a screech leaped the small distance to his desk lamp, flicking it on and looking around warily.

There was nothing, and the volleyball had stopped moving. Shouyou heaved a sigh. Maybe this was a dream, and he’d wake up in the morning with nothing different.

Just to be safe though, he left the lamp on, inwardly sobbing at what would be his electric bill and the fact that even though he was 19, he still needed to sleep with a light.

* * *

“Why do you think I’d let you stay at my place?” Tsukishima asked, an eyebrow raised and his mouth tucked down at the corner. Shouyou shuffled his feet.

“Because.” Shouyou didn’t really have a reason, and he really _didn’t_ want to tell Tsukishima of all people that he was afraid of a maybe ghost haunting his new apartment. Normally, Shouyou would have texted Kenma as he arrived at Kenma’s door, and Kenma would have let him in, that exasperated but sincere look on his face, and held him while Shouyou cried dramatically about spirits. But Kenma wasn’t available for that anymore, now that he’d moved in with his longtime boyfriend. Of course, thinking about it (something Shouyou wasn’t really known for), Kenma probably would have let Shouyou stay with him and Kuroo anyway, but Shouyou had a feeling that he and Kuroo would try and monopolize Kenma, and he didn’t want to put Kenma in that stressful situation.

“You better think of a reason, fast, before I slam the door on your stupid face, shorty.”

“Because I’m your friend and you owe me for that one time I saved your stupid ass from losing your job that one time when we were working at Sakanoshita and you scared that little girl and made her cry.”

Tsukishima pushed up his glasses sniffing slightly. “Fine, I’ll let you say. Just don’t ever mention that again.”

“Yay! Thanks, Tsukishima!” Shouyou grinned, picking his duffle bag up off of the ground and running inside of Tsukishima’s small and organized apartment. Tsukishima closed the door behind them and followed Shouyou in. Shouyou paused and gestured with his bag. “Where do I-?”

“Over there,” Tsukishima responded, pointing out a small closet with a nod of his head. Shouyou set his bag in it, before noticing a futon. “I trust that you’re old enough by now to set out your own futon.”

“Of course I am!” Shouyou exclaimed in defense, closing the door of the closet to make a point. Tsukishima grinned down at him before sitting on the couch. Shouyou went and sat down next to him. Tsukishima sighed, taking off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose before putting them back on his face.

“Alright, since you’re going to be staying here until you’re man enough to go back to your own apartment, we need to lay out some house rules,” Shouyou raised an eyebrow, not sure he’d like where this was going. “One: my room is off-limits. Don’t even think about going in there, okay? Two: I get first shower, always. Three: Cook for yourself. Don’t expect me to do that for you. You’re an adult. And four: I have early classes, so don’t watch TV later than midnight.”

“You’re such a spoil sport, Tsukishima,” Shouyou glowered, before looking up at the blonde with a shiteating grin. “Why can’t we just have sleepovers like we used to when we were kids?”

“Because we’re not kids anymore,” Tsukishima said. “And even if we did, they’d never be the same.”

There was a sobering moment between them as Shouyou was gripped with a sadness, deep and bitter in his belly.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he tried, but Tsukishima just shook his head once, abruptly, picking up a book from the table next to his side of the couch. He used his other hand to toss Shouyou the remote. Shouyou took it wordlessly, turning it on to some mindless game show where people were eating random household objects. The two were silent for a while before Shouyou spoke up. “We never really talked about it, you know?”

Tsukishima sighed, leaning back into the couch. “What’s there to talk about? Nothing can change the past. There’s no point getting worked up over it,” he added as an afterthought, “and even if there _was_ something to talk about, we’re not going to.”

Shouyou sighed, closing his eyes, his mood dampened. What was he thinking, trying to get Tsukishima to joke around with him, like they used to? What was he thinking, trying to talk to Tsukishima about their shared loss? What was he thinking, that Tsukishima would actually open up to him? What was he thinking, that he was Tadashi?

 _No_ , Shouyou reminded himself, _there’s no point in thinking about things like that. Like Tsukishima said, you can’t change the past, and there’s nothing we can do to bring him back._

* * *

That night, as Shouyou tossed and turned on his futon, all he could think about was the boy he used to know, used to laugh with and cry with. The boy that used to be his friend. With a freckled face and a soft, sensitive disposition, Yamaguchi Tadashi was the perfect medium between the high-energy, anxiousness of Shouyou and the calm, bored demeanor of Tsukishima. Really, Tadashi was the reason Tsukishima and Shouyou were able to stand each other during their late childhood and adolescence. Tadashi is also the one who brought them together, having become friends with Shouyou after Shouyou had moved to their town during elementary school.

Tadashi was beautiful, in a quiet way that Shouyou didn’t think a lot of people noticed. Though he had been plump with childhood when they met, as they had grown older, Tadashi had become lean and tall, though shorter than Tsukishima, while Shouyou had remained short and delicate. And while Tsukishima would pick at Shouyou’s unfortunate height, Tadashi was never rude about it. Tadashi was kind.

Tadashi was dead.

It had happened at their graduation party, from high school. Shouyou wasn’t sure what had happened exactly (he’d been sick, the anticipation for receiving his diploma had induced him to vomit, as his nerves typically did), but he’d woken up to his mother crying and the headlines on the news had read: ITEM: HIGH SCHOOL BOY FOUND DEAD, RAN OVER BY DRIVER.

It was then, Shouyou remembers, that Tsukishima had fallen into a love for the occult. Tsukishima’s fascination with death, lore, magic and the like had scared Shouyou at the time, but looking back on it, he can see that it was Tsukishima’s way of coping with Tadashi’s premature demise. Tsukishima was _smart_ , intelligent in ways that Shouyou could never begin to comprehend. Tsukishima could build someone up and rip them down in just a few words, hardly uttered to the point where the person in question could hear them. When faced with a problem, Tsukishima _learned_. He picked up intellectual facts like Shouyou picked up athleticism. One more thing to add to the ever-growing list of their differences.

 _How could I forget?_ Shouyou asks himself, rolling over on the futon to face the foot of the couch. _Tsukishima used to be super into spirits and crap and kept trying to contact Tadashi from beyond the grave, not that it ever worked or anything_. There was a pause as Shouyou’s mind caught up to him before he gasped inwardly. _I could ask Tsukishima to help me. He’s a reputable source of information on hauntings, right? Right._

Shouyou grinned to himself, applauding his apparent genius. He’d make sure to ask Tsukishima to fix his haunting in the morning.

With that solved and his aching for Tadashi back to the normal soft and heavy feeling in his gut, Shouyou found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Tsukishima stared at him as if he had grown a third head, his tea steaming up the bottoms of his glasses lenses. “You want me to  _what_ ?”

Shouyou fidgeted. Even after years of knowing Tsukishima and being the usual guinea pig for his _looks_ , it still upset his nervous nature. “I want you to see if my apartment is haunted.”

There was a pause before Tsukishima cackled. “Is that why you’re over here? Really? Because you think your apartment’s haunted? Amazing. Honestly, you never cease to amaze me, Hinata.”

Shouyou’s cheeks flushed. “Shut up! I’m serious here! It was really weird!”

“Ghosts don’t exist,” Tsukishima said.

“That’s not what you used to think,” Shouyou muttered under his breath before fixing Tsukishima with his most pitiful puppy expression. “ _Pleeeeease?_ ”

Tsukishima sighed, taking off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose as he always did when faced with extreme stupidity. Shouyou would take offense, but he had to agree. Thinking that your apartment was haunted does sound pretty… _iffy_.

“You think your apartment is haunted because a volleyball fell on the floor.”

“It didn’t _fall_ on the floor,” Shouyou said quickly. “It was _thrown_ on the floor – _and_ something knocked over my moving boxes _and_ it kept running into my bed.”

Tsukishima looked at him. Shouyou amended his statement.

“Okay, so it ran into my bed like _once_ , but still. It was _weird_ , Tsukishima! I had that volleyball on my couch, _way_ far away from the boxes and the bed. There’s no way it could have gotten over there unless something, or should I say some _one_ , purposefully moved it.”

Tsukishima sighed, his mouth pulling down in the corners as he looked at the ceiling, as if imploring all the gods he didn’t believe in to remove Shouyou from his vicinity.

“See, even _you_ can’t tell me that wasn’t super weird,” Shouyou said smugly as Tsukishima moved his golden eyes to look back at him. Tsukishima sighed again before his face morphed once again into scorn.

“Alright, I’ll humor you. I’ll go take those dumb little tools I bought and check to see if your house is haunted.”

“Really?” Shouyou exclaimed, leaping up from where he was sitting across from Tsukishima. Tsukishima gave him a bored look. Shouyou whooped, jumping up and down. “Thank you so much, Tsukishima!”

* * *

_If Tsukishima looked any more bored, he’d probably be dead_ , Shouyou thought with a laugh as Tsukishima walked around Shouyou’s living room, EMF monitor in hand. Shouyou bounced around him, trying to understand what all the little lights meant. Tsukishima ignored Shouyou’s hyperactivity, used to it by now.

“Are you getting anything?”

“No.”

Shouyou bit the inside of his cheek, hoping there actually _was_ something haunting his home, just so Tsukishima wouldn’t have anything to lord over him for once. Tsukishima turned, walking into Shouyou’s bedroom.

“So this is where the activity occurred?” Tsukishima quizzed him professionally. Shouyou nodded, his hand going to grab at the back of Tsukishima’s shirt for comfort, his heart beating fast. He was afraid, but then again, he was also afraid of going to public restrooms. Tsukishima walked further into the room, holding his EMF monitor out in front of him. Shouyou ran into his back when Tsukishima stopped. Shouyou leaned around to look at Tsukishima’s pinched face.

“What is it?” Shouyou asked, his voice wavering. Tsukishima showed him the lights at the top of the EMF, all of the lit to a bright green. “What does that mean?”

“It means it’s detecting something,” Tsukishima said, his voice quiet and not condescending for once. _Once a believer, always a believer,_ Shouyou thought smugly. Shouyou watched the lights flicker rapidly before fading away. “I think the ghost is moving,” Tsukishima said to himself before he cleared his throat. “If there _is_ a ghost, which there isn’t.”

Shouyou grinned at him, making Tsukishima scoffed. “Well, then let’s go find that ghost!”

They chased the lights on Tsukishima’s device for the next hour, until they decided to take a break, sitting down on Shouyou’s couch.

“What next?” Shouyou asked. Tsukishima sighed, leaning his head back on the headrest before he sat forward, digging in his bag to pull out another monitor. “What’s that?”

“It’s an EVP recorder,” Tsukishima informed him. “It’s meant to catch the “voices of the dead” or whatever. Basically, we talk, and see if this thing can pick up whatever your ghost is saying in response –if he says anything in response.”

“Ooooh,” Shouyou murmured. “Does it work?”

Tsukishima shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Never has before.”

“Maybe it’s broken,” Shouyou suggested. Tsukishima shrugged again, his expression unreadable. “So,” Shouyou cut in before silence could overtake them, “are we going to try it out?”

Tsukishima sighed, flipping on the switch and hitting record. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Oh wandering spirit who just so happens to be stupid enough to like the smell of a college kid’s apartment and has decided to reside here, why are you here?” Shouyou slapped Tsukishima on the arm.

“Don’t insult my ghost.”

Tsukishima looked at him the same way Shouyou looked at Oikawa Tooru: with vague dislike and confusion. Tsukishima went on.

“If you could make your presence known, that would be great.”

They waited for a few seconds before Shouyou burst out, “Maybe he’s shy?” right as the volleyball came rolling into the living room from the bedroom, right into the bag between Tsukishima’s feet. Shouyou squealed, picking up his feet, his heart racing. Tsukishima stared at the ball with an uncharacteristic look of blankness. They were quiet. The volleyball rolled away before rolling back at Tsukishima with a feeling of heightened agitation.

“Holy shit,” Tsukishima breathed. “Holy motherfucking shit.”

“My house is _haunted_ ,” Shouyou cried out, collapsing in on himself, his head planting on his knees as he was caught between wanting to cry and vomit out of fear and sing praises because _hah! What now, Tsukishima?_

The volleyball rolled back and forth, as if the ghost was playing with it.

“What is your name?” Shouyou asked, curiosity overtaking his previous panic.

“Idiot, you can’t hear him now-”

“Well, isn’t that what your fancy little recording device is for?”

“That’s not how it _works_ , midget.”

The ball rammed into the coffee table, sending the precariously placed magazines sliding off. The pages on one of the magazines started to flip slowly, as if the ghost was looking for something before it went still. Shouyou leaned over and picked up the magazine. He gasped.

“Whoa, look at this.”

Tsukishima leaned over, his eyes skimming the article:

_Tokyo University’s genius setter, Kageyama Tobio (19) has been placed in the ICU at a local hospital after sustaining critical head injuries from a car crash on the way to a reception with the national volleyball team. Though only in a coma for a few days, doctors are wondering how long it will be until Kageyama wakes up, if he ever does…_

The article went on, talking briefly about comatose patients and Kageyama’s life, ending on “ _Let’s hope that the next time we hear about Kageyama is when he becomes a member of the national team, and not in an obituary_.”

“I can’t believe a famous volleyball player is haunting my apartment,” Shouyou said before his eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute, but the article said that Kageyama’s in a coma, not dead. And this is the newest addition of _Volleyball Illustrated_!”

“Maybe being in a coma detaches the soul from the physical body,” Tsukishima said thoughtfully. “In the occult class I took last year, there was a segment on astral projection. That may not be exactly what we’re dealing with, since Kageyama doesn’t seem to be in control of his soul’s journey, but it could be a lead.”

There was a breeze and suddenly Shouyou’s side felt cold. Shouyou gulped. “Tsukishima, is he sitting next to me?”

Tsukishima held his EMF monitor out and the lights went crazy as he hovered it over the spot on the couch next to Shouyou. Tsukishima put it on the table, sitting back. “Yeah, he is.”

“Oh my _god_ ,” Shouyou breathed, closing his eyes. He was sitting next to a _ghost_ (although, maybe ghost wasn’t the right word since Kageyama wasn’t technically dead yet?). This is not something the average person experiences every day, and while Shouyou always liked the idea of being special, he had always thought it would be because of his mad volleyball skill, not because he was living in a Patrick Swayze movie. Shouyou shivered before turning to Tsukishima. “Hey, can we listen to your EVP thingy?”

Tsukishima sighed. “Why do you need to? We have confirmed both the existence of the ghost and his identity. What more do you want?”

“I want to hear him talk,” Shouyou said, flushing a bit. He wasn’t sure if that was necessary, but he was curious. Tsukishima sighed, pressing the STOP button on the device before hitting play. There was rustling before he could hear Tsukishima ask his question along with Shouyou’s interjection, and then in rough static and breathy noises, Shouyou heard and deep and soft voice go:

“ _I didn’t chose to be here shithead, the short clumsy dumbass brought me here._ ”

Shouyou’s jaw dropped open and he head snapped to the cold, ghost-filled spot on the couch next to him. “What the hell? I try to _defend_ you and you call me a dumbass and short?”

Tsukishima cackled. “Not going to argue clumsy, Hinata?”

Shouyou huffed, crossing his arms, his cheeks puffed out. “I can’t argue something that is true.”

“So you’re not short? Maybe I should go to the optometrist and have my prescription checked.”

“Buh! Shut up, Tsukishima!” Shouyou exclaimed inarticulately. He had been fighting this battle since he’d met Tsukishima, and he still hadn’t won (he probably never would). Tsukishima hit play again. Shouyou hadn’t noticed him pausing it.

Tsukishima’s voice rang out again, clear, as he commanded Kageyama to make his presence known. The static came over the recorder again and Shouyou heard him go.

“ _You already know I’m here what’s the,”_ there was a pause and the static got thicker in what Shouyou could only think was an exasperated sigh, before Kageyama went on. “ _Fuck it_.”

The recording ended with Shouyou’s screech and Tsukishima’s gasp (something Shouyou hadn’t noticed in the moment Kageyama had finally revealed himself).

“Tsukishima, my ghost’s an asshole,” Shouyou groaned, flopping onto Tsukishima’s lap who quickly shoved Shouyou onto the floor. Shouyou looked up at Tsukishima with a fearsome scowl. “You’re an asshole too. Why do I always get stuck with assholes?”

“Karma,” Tsukishima said.

“But I haven’t ever done anything bad!”

“Well, you can’t tell me you didn’t draw the _short_ stick in life.”

“Fuck you, Tsukishima,” Shouyou growled.

 “No thank you,” Tsukishima responded drily.

Shouyou pouted before Tsukishima stood up throwing his EVP machine into his duffle bag of ghost hunting paraphernalia.

“Well, I’ve done my job. Have fun with your ghost, shorty,” Tsukishima said as he headed over to the door of Shouyou’s apartment.

“Wait!” Shouyou said, jumping off of the couch after him. “Tsukishima, can I borrow your voice recorder so I can talk to him?”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow as he looked down his nose at Shouyou. “Why should I let you borrow it? Do you know how expensive this shit can be?”

Shouyou rolled his eyes. “Don’t pretend that Akiteru didn’t buy that for you. I know when your occult obsessions started.”

“Now I _really_ don’t want to give it to you.”

“Tsukishima…”

“Beg.”

“Excuse me?” Shouyou’s mouth opened as he took in Tsukishima’s words and evil grin.

“Get on your knees and _beg_.”

Shouyou’s cheeks reddened as he remembered another “person” was in the room. “I’m not going to do that.”

“Really? Because I remember a time when you would have _leapt_ at the opportunity to put your mouth around my-”

“No! Not going to happen! And I never wanted to do that! Gross! Who would want to. You know. To you?” Shouyou knew who would want to suck Tsukishima’s dick, but he was dead. Shouyou remembered what seemed like a long time ago, back when Tadashi was alive and was irrevocably in love with Tsukishima. He remembered when Tadashi had told him, when Tadashi had been afraid Tsukishima had known. He remembered how Tadashi had asked him to take the fall when Tsukishima had confronted Tadashi about it.

Tsukishima wasn’t budging, his eyebrow still raised in Shouyou’s direction. Shouyou groaned and rolled his eyes, getting onto his knees and clasping his hands in front of him like he was in prayer. “Please, oh mighty Tsukishima. God of the brats. The brattiest brat of anyone who ever has or will brat. Will you please bestow your sacred EVP monitor onto a lowly peon such as myself?”

Tsukishima’s face turned sour at the brat part, but he still dug around in his bag and threw the EVP monitor at Shouyou, pegging him in the forehead.

“Ow!” Shouyou yelled, rubbing what would probably end up being a bruise (he had always bruised easily, and there was nothing wrong with that! He just had _really_ delicate skin).

“Don’t break it,” Tsukishima said, a little unnecessarily in Shouyou’s opinion. Shouyou may not have been the most… _coordinated_ person in the world, but he wasn’t going to purposefully break the one thing that would allow him to live with the ghost of Kageyama Tobio.

“Bye, Tsukishima,” Shouyou said with a scowl. Tsukishima swiftly left, appearing not to want to stay any longer than he absolutely had to.

There was a pause before Shouyou turned around, fiddling with the EVP as he watched the volleyball roll around his floor.

“So, Kageyama,” Shouyou began, his fingers tapping on the EVP. He was quiet, unsure of what to say. “What’s it like being dead?” He quickly hit record as he watched the volleyball stand still. When it started moving again, he pushed play.

“ _Not only are you clumsy, you’re also insensitive. Why the fuck do I have to be here with you?_ ”

Shouyou’s mouth opened in offense as he stared at the space around the volleyball. “Like I want you here! I’d rather you weren’t! Why are you even here?”

He pressed record and then play when the volleyball started moving again. “ _As if I would know. One moment, I’m losing consciousness in the hospital, the next, I’m at your apartment and you’re screeching like guwaa_.”

“You’d be scared too, if all of a sudden your apartment is haunted!” Shouyou defended himself, hitting record once more. After the volleyball started moving again, he pressed play.

“ _I probably wouldn’t have reacted like_ that _. You really showed your intelligence_.”

“Like you’re any smarter than me!” He pressed record.

Pause. Play. _“I am_.”

“No way!” Record.

Pause. Play. “ _The fact that you want to argue about something so stupid proves that you’re stupid_.”

Shouyou spluttered. “I’m not the one who started this, _Baka_ geyama!” Record. Pause.

Play. “ _Whatever, dumbass. I’m not going to get dragged down to your level. And this way of communicating sucks ass.”_

“I can’t say I disagree with you, but it’s the only way we have. And I’m not going to live with a roommate I can’t talk to.” Record.

Pause. Play. “ _So I’m your roommate now?_ ”

“Well, you’re liv- _staying_ here now, so I’d have to say yeah.” Record.

Pause. Play. There was a static, put upon sigh. “ _I guess I’ll just have to get used to being here with you until I go back to my body._ ”

 _If he goes back to his body_ , Shouyou thought to himself, but he didn’t say it out loud.

* * *

It went on like that, with their broken cycle of communication for a few weeks without a too many mishaps. There was the time when Kageyama had been in the bathroom for no apparent reason when Shouyou had walked in and started to undress to shower. That had ended with Shouyou screaming and Kageyama beating a hasty retreat, but other than that (and the time at breakfast when Kageyama had somehow  _broken_ the rice cooker), it had been somewhat peaceful, and the two settled into a routine with some semblance of normalcy.

The only real problem lied in their inability to speak freely. It had caused all the major and minor problems. Though they had an uncanny understanding of one another for the most part. They didn’t need a lot of words to communicate; they had found that they were both _actions speak louder than words_ people (the rice cooker incident had been Kageyama’s way of apologizing for watching Shouyou shower, and though it was awkward as hell, Shouyou had really appreciated the sentiment).

They breached the communication subject once more in the morning before Shouyou left for work after an argument regarding how bored Kageyama became when Shouyou was at work or in classes. Arguments were one of Shouyou’s least favorite things to get in, because so much time was taken for when he had to record Kageyama’s voice and then play it back. Kageyama could be a fast talker sometimes, too, so with the static and low quality of the playback, Shouyou would sometimes have to play the recording over a few times to understand what he was saying fully.

And even then, there were still issues when Shouyou would mistake something Kageyama said, or when Kageyama would lose patience with the process and leave, making Shouyou record for nothing.

Shouyou stormed out of the house, anger deep in his belly as he tried to forget about the fight he and Kageyama had just had. They tended to agree about most things, so being unable to grasp the basics of his communication made their fights even worse, since both of them were not only miffed at each other, but also intensely frustrated with being unable to fully express themselves.

He took out his phone, steeling himself as he dialed Tsukishima’s number. Tsukishima picked up on the fifth ring.

“What is it? Problems in heaven?” Shouyou could hear the smirk in his voice at his joke because _heaven_ and _spirits_ and Shouyou was being _haunted._ Haha. So funny. Really. Tsukishima is a true comedian.

“I don’t have time for this Tsukishima,” Shouyou said, wanting to get this phone call over and done with. “I need to ask you another favor.”

“Oh? Is my EVP monitor not good enough for you? Do you want me to go splurge on _more_ ghost equipment with the little funds I have?”

“ _No_ ,” Shouyou said, starting to lose his patience. He never had a lot when it came to dealing with Tsukishima, although it seemed that Tsukishima was in an even fouler mood than he normally was. “I was wondering if you knew any local, um. People who can talk to ghosts.”

“ _Psychics_?” Tsukishima asked with disdain. “Look, just because I was into that shit when I was younger, doesn’t mean that I still keep in contact with anyone I knew back then.”

“But you did know one.”

Tsukishima sighed. “Yeah, I always thought it was a load of bullshit.”

“What’s their name?”

“His name is Nishinoya Yuu. You can probably find him on Twitter or something. Maybe Instagram.”

“Thanks, Tsukishima,” Shouyou said. It was weird, talking to Tsukishima about things like this, but it was necessary. Even if he was an asshole, Shouyou still felt like he could trust Tsukishima to help him. Tsukishima had never been the type to deny his friends help if they really needed it. “Oh, and Tsukishima, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. You know.”

“Aww. How sweet,” Tsukishima mocked, although Shouyou was glad he had said something. Tsukishima sometimes needed to be reminded that people still cared for him, even if he was insufferable. “I’d _love_ to _chat_ , but I’ve got class.”

“Bye, Tsukishima,” Shouyou said as he hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. He pushed open the doors of the gym he worked at, walking to the locker room. He had just gotten the job recently, and so far he just helped assist the cycling class. He put his bag into his locker and changed quickly, before walking to check in. The receptionist, Kunimi Akira, looked at him with his normal blank expression as Shouyou slid his card through the slot.

Shouyou quickly googled Nishinoya Yuu, finding the link to his Twitter, as well as a business number. He dialed it, unlocking the door to the classroom with the bicycles. He had a good ten minutes before the main teacher, Sugawara Koushi would show up. The phone was answered quickly by a man with a timid voice.

“Hello, this is Azumane from Psychic Center, I hope I can help you?”

“Hi, um, my name is Hinata Shouyou, and I was wondering if I could arrange an… appointment with Nishinoya?” he felt a little stupid, although he told himself not to. This was literally a place run by a _psychic_ , for the love of God. They wouldn’t think he was dumb for believing in ghosts. There was the sound of a typing before Azumane spoke.

“May I ask what the appointment is for?”

“Well, you see. I kind of. Um,” there was a nervous rumbling from his stomach and Shouyou frowned at it, like it was a traitor. “My apartment is haunted.”

“And you know this for sure, or do you need Nishinoya to check?”

“I know for sure. I’ve been communicating with it, but there’s been some problems.”

“Is it an angry ghost?” Azumane asked, sounding a little alarmed. Shouyou thought about Kageyama.

“Yeah. He’s really mean. He destroyed my rice cooker.”

“I see,” Azumane said, his voice now a little panicked. “May I please have your contact information and address?”

Shouyou listed the information off quickly, wondering why Azumane was so worried. Maybe he was afraid of ghosts. “Thanks, Azumane.”

“Um, Hinata. If you ever feel threatened, call us and we will come and get you. I will call you back within the day to finalize the time and date for Nishinoya’s visit.”

“Alright. Thanks again,” Shouyou said, hanging up. The door opened and Sugawara walked in with all of his angelic glory. As Shouyou watched him remove his blue water bottle from his bag, Shouyou’s sick stomach went away. There was always something so calming about Sugawara’s graceful and efficient movements. Even Oikawa wasn’t immune to his charm. He had even nicknamed Sugawara “Mr. Refreshing.” Shouyou didn’t find himself agreeing with Oikawa, much, but the nickname invoked a rare moment of comradery. There was no one more soothing or _refreshing_ as Suga.

“You okay?” Suga asked as he plugged his iPod into the stereo system.

“I am now,” Shouyou said with a smile. Everyone had a little crush on Suga. It was impossible not to.

Suga laughed, amused by the answer. “Just remember, if you’re sick, it’s okay to stay home.”

Shouyou was glad he had such an understanding coworker. He was lucky. He could have been like Tanaka and be forced to work with Oikawa.

The music started to come through the speaker as their students began to filter into the classroom towards the bikes.

“Alright! Are you ready class?” Suga started with a smile. The whole room seemed to swoon.

Shouyou joined Suga, climbing onto his bike, already anticipating when he would be called back to arrange the appointment with Nishinoya.

* * *

“ _I_ _still can’t believe you did this_ ,” Kageyama said as he watched Shouyou tidy up before Nishinoya arrived that morning. Shouyou sighed, not bothering to respond as that would take time away from throwing all of his random belongings into his closet and the cupboards in the kitchen. Shouyou had never been known for his organizational capabilities.

Shouyou felt a squeeze on his head and cold seeped beneath his hair. He wasn’t sure what Kageyama was doing in these instances, but he knew he was being touched. Kageyama had started touching Shouyou recently, and it made Shouyou feel like they were somehow getting closer. He wasn’t sure why he felt happy about that. Maybe because it would have been bad if he and the ghost hated each other for real (even though they joked about it).

There was a ring from the doorbell and Shouyou made a “pawaa!” noise in surprise as he ran to open it up.

His first impression of Nishinoya was that he had finally met someone shorter than himself. Nishinoya looked tough with a streak of bleached hair sticking straight up from his dark brown spiky mess, and he was wearing a white t-shirt with the words of encouragement printed on the back. Nishinoya walked into Shouyou’s apartment without Shouyou inviting him in, curiously peering around before his golden eyes settled on something in particular.

“Well,” Nishinoya said, his hands on his hips, “your apartment is definitely haunted. But I take it you knew that?”

“Yeah,” Shouyou said. “What is he saying?”

“He’s just looking at me with unconcealed rage and confusion. Apparently he doesn’t understand why I can see him. Oh, now he’s talking.”

“I bet he’s saying something like _Of course I know why you can see me, I’m not stupid,_ ” Shouyou guessed.

Nishinoya grinned holding out his hand for a high five. “Nice going man! You were spot on! So Asahi told me he’s a poltergeist, but I’m not really getting that vibe.”

“Poltergeist?” Shouyou asked, remembering the movie. “Kageyama’s not like that at all! He’s just an asshole!”

Nishinoya stared at him for a second before he let out a loud laugh, slapping Shouyou on the back. “I like you, even if your knowledge of the spiritual realm is subpar. So, if Kageyama isn’t a poltergeist, and you already know he exists, why am I here? What do you need me to do?”

“I want to communicate with him better,” Shouyou informed Nishinoya. Nishinoya raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? How are you communicating now?”

Shouyou picked the EVP monitor off of the couch’s armrest where he had thrown it when he’d opened the door. “I use this. I got it from my friend. It works okay, but it takes so long to record him and then replay it for myself that it just ruins conversations and arguments.”

Nishinoya took it from him, looking the EVP over. “This is some pretty high quality. But I get what you’re saying. I can’t teach you to see him or hear him right now, unless you have the same gift that I do, but there is a way for him to be able to manifest himself. If he’s what I think he is.”

“And what would that be?” Shouyou asked.

“Do you know if he’s dead, or if his body’s still alive?”

“His body is in a coma,” Shouyou answered. “Why?”

“Well, if his body’s in a coma, it means that his soul is still gaining energy from his body, even though they’re disjointed at the moment. That means he can harness the excess energy he’s receiving and manifest himself for you to see and hear, even without being psychic.”

“S-So cool!” Shouyou said, looking at this small man with a newfound respect. Not only was Nishinoya able to literally look death in the eye every day, he was also able to _teach_ ghosts how to do things. “You’re so cool!”

Nishinoya blushed, waving his hand in Shouyou’s direction. “Please, please. That’s enough. Say it again.”

“You’re cool!”

Nishinoya put his hands on his cheeks and made a little squealing noise. His eyes opened and he glanced up at something next to Shouyou before he cleared his throat.

“Right! Let’s get to business. The first thing we need to do is figure out why Kageyama’s soul is here.”

“We’ve been wondering about that ever since we made contact,” Shouyou said sadly. “We aren’t sure why because I’ve never seen Kageyama in my life.”

“Well, it could be for many reasons. His soul could be connected to an object that you have, or he could have seen you at some point and was thinking of you vaguely when his spirit was thrown out of his body. He also could have some type of attachment to the apartment itself.”

There was a silence as Nishinoya’s attention was focused on the space above Shouyou’s head. Nishinoya nodded. “Kageyama says that it’s probably an object, because he doesn’t remember seeing you before now, either. Do you have any ideas as to what this object could be?”

“No, I mean, the only new thing I got before Kageyama showed up was a volleyball I found at the gym in an abandoned locker when I was cleaning.”

“Is it that one?” Nishinoya asked, pointing to the volleyball Kageyama always carried around with him. Shouyou nodded. Nishinoya picked it up, examining it. His tongue peeked out of his lips. “Yeah. This is it, his presence is thick around it. Was this yours, Kageyama?”

There was a pause before Nishinoya said. “Kageyama says that it’s not necessarily his, it was a ball given to him by his favorite senpai in high school. He never plays with it, just kind of keeps it around.”

“Oh,” Shouyou said. He glared at the space Nishinoya was looking at. “Why didn’t you tell me, asshole? We could have figured this out so much earlier! I knew you weren’t as smart as you said you were!”

There was a cold weight on his head, and he felt a light pressure. Nishinoya laughed.

“You guys are funny.”

“What next, Nishinoya?”

“Well, it looks like this ball is already holding a lot of residual energy, so we’ll start with having Kageyama absorb it. This should make him slightly visible,” Nishinoya handed the ball to Kageyama’s space. “Focus on the ball and picture it disappearing into you.”

There was a pause before a faint outline could be seen around the ball. Shouyou gasped.

“Oh my God. He’s _taller_ than me!”

The outline became more pronounced and color began to fill it in. Within a minute, Kageyama was standing there, looking real enough to touch. Nishinoya smiled.

“See? Cool, huh?”

Shouyou nodded. “Can he talk to me?”

“Of course I can, dumbass,” Kageyama scowled. Shouyou gulped. His voice wasn’t anything like it was on the recordings, breathy and not really there. It was deep and dark and a little rough. Kageyama himself was tall and lean, with what seemed like well-defined muscles in his arms and legs. He was strong. His face was nice too, thin and pointed, but with a more classic sense of beauty, so much different from Shouyou’s haphazard looks. Shouyou cursed his dumb bisexual heart. He shouldn’t have these feelings for a ghost. Wasn’t that necrophilia?

“I can see that your bad attitude wasn’t just from being unable to communicate. Apparently, you’re an asshole all the time,” Shouyou said, trying to imitate Kageyama’s facial expression. Kageyama’s expression turned even angrier and his hand shot out, gripping Shouyou firmly. _Oh_ , Shouyou thought. _So that’s what he’s been doing_.

Nishinoya looked between them, a small smile on his face.

“I’m glad that worked for you. That process can be kind of iffy. I’m going to give you some warnings before I leave,” Nishinoya began. “When you take energy from the ball, you are _literally_ sucking it out of your physical body, which is very dangerous because your body is in a comatose state. If you take out too much, you can end up accidentally killing yourself. That means you shouldn’t stay in this form for too long. Right now, the ball has enough energy to get you through a few weeks, but I’d use it sparingly. That means I’d stop manifesting during the night when Shouyou’s asleep. You’ll get better at it as time moves on, and with that, I wish you two luck!”

“Thank you!” Shouyou and Kageyama said at the same time, bowing to Nishinoya.

Nishinoya laughed at their synchronization. “You two get along well.”

“Me with him? Please,” Kageyama said, pushing Shouyou away from him. Shouyou glared up at Kageyama.

“Can you believe him, Nishinoya?”

Nishinoya just shook his head. “Well, if that’s all you needed from me, then I’m going to go ahead and leave. I have a few more clients to see today. If you have any problems or any questions, you know how to contact me.”

“Thank you so much, Nishinoya,” Shouyou said with a sincere smile as he walked Nishinoya to the door. “You’ve really helped us.”

“Don’t mention it, and Asahi said that you’d drop the money by our facility on your payday, right?”

“Of course!” Shouyou wouldn’t _dream_ of cheating this wonderful, cool man.

“Then we’re all good! Good luck with your ghost, Hinata!”

As he closed the door, Shouyou looked back at where Kageyama was staring at him intensely and a cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. He was going to need all the luck he could get.

* * *

Finally being able to interact in person as opposed to over EVP (speaking of the EVP, he’d have to return it to Tsukishima, damn) improved their relationship tenfold. Though there was still the mundane argument because for  _some_ reason, Kageyama didn’t like the way Hinata made tea, which was  _ridiculous_ (as Shouyou had said) because Kageyama couldn’t even  _drink_ the tea Shouyou made because Kageyama was a  _spirit_ . Kageyama said that didn’t matter because Shouyou was still doing it wrong.

But even with their small arguments, they were becoming much closer. It was really like living with a roommate, Shouyou figured, even though Kageyama wasn’t a _real_ presence. They found that they really _did_ like a lot of the same things (especially volleyball, which should be obvious since Kageyama was on his way to becoming a professional player), and they lived together well. They rarely ever stepped on each other’s toes and when Shouyou was in a rush, Kageyama was more helpful than not. Also, Kageyama was really good at organizing things for someone so dumb (he still tried to say he wasn’t stupid, but Shouyou _knew_ ), and he had a killer memory when he tried. He found everything Shouyou lost, and Shouyou’s apartment was much cleaner than it had probably ever been.

It made Kageyama angry when Shouyou started calling him his “househusband,” but his anger was softened with something Shouyou would like to say was fondness.

“I was wondering,” Shouyou said as he glanced over the morning paper (he needed to be a proper working husband for Kageyama, after all), even though he couldn’t read some of the kanji, “since your life force is connected to the volleyball, what if you travel wherever the volleyball is. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Kageyama had been extremely stir crazy and had accidentally broken one of Shouyou’s lamps and three glasses by trying to play volleyball in the house. Kageyama looked thoughtful (Shouyou was sure nothing was really going on in that big head of his, but he didn’t make a comment). Kageyama started nodding. “We could try.”

“Wait, no one would be able to see you,” Shouyou said, his mood a little dampened. Kageyama gave him the look he normally did when Shouyou said something particularly dumb.

“Dumbass, of course they will. _You_ can see me. That’s what this whole volleyball manifestation thing is about.”

“Oh yeah. But aren’t you super famous?”

“You didn’t know me, and you’re a volleyball maniac.”

“True enough,” Shouyou acquiesced. “Then let’s go to the park today. We can play volleyball!”

Kageyama nodded. “We can practicing tossing and receiving. Didn’t you say you were involved in an intramural volleyball team?”

“Yeah,” Shouyou said, with an awkward laugh. “I’m pretty bad at receiving though. I played through high school, but I was never able to make the starting line.”

Kageyama’s mouth pursed and his eyebrows narrowed before he seemed to come to a decision about something. “I’ll teach you.”

“ _You’ll_ teach me?” Shouyou wasn’t sure, but if he had to guess, he’d say that Kageyama wasn’t going to be the best teacher he could have.

“Do you have a problem with that, dumbass?” Kageyama’s cheeks took on an embarrassed hue as he averted his eyes away from Shouyou’s face. _Cute_ , Shouyou thought, before he mentally hurt himself. _Not cute. Don’t think of the dead guy as cute_. _Well, he isn’t_ really _dead, though. So, it’s not bad. No, stop trying to defend yourself you dumb bisexual mind_.

“No!” Shouyou responded, waving his hand. “I was just… surprised is all. That you’d, you know, _offer_.”

“Dumbass, why wouldn’t I?” Kageyama said, and his voice was a little soft. Shouyou’s heart squeezed despite himself. He fiddled with the tie of his shorts under the table in a sudden bout of anxiety. He couldn’t believe his heart did the squeezy thing. He didn’t want to feel the squeezy thing around Kageyama!

Shouyou wasn’t able to look Kageyama directly in the eye as he cleared his throat. “Anyway, let’s go ahead and get to the park before it gets too crowded.” Shouyou stood, grabbing the volleyball, not looking back has he heard Kageyama stand up and follow him to the door to leave.

The walk to the park was slow as Kageyama seemed to want to enjoy being out and about while he could. Shouyou was happy to oblige him. He liked walking around with Kageyama and pointing out things like the gym he worked at and his favorite ramen shop and the store that sold the _best_ meat buns.

The park was fairly empty when they got there, and the two found a spot under the cover of some trees, just in case something went wrong with Kageyama’s manifestation. Kageyama spun the ball in his hands and Shouyou’s eyes were drawn to his long, slender fingers. Shouyou’s mouth went dry and he gulped.

 “I’ll toss to you and you send the ball back to me,” Kageyama said. Shouyou nodded, although he was jittery as he watched Kageyama’s dark eyes sharpen with focus, and for some reason Shouyou wanted Kageyama to look at him with that same intensity. Kageyama threw the ball up and naturally, instinctively, he sent the toss to Shouyou.

Shouyou moved forward on the balls of his toes, bumping the ball towards Kageyama’s general direction. Kageyama dove in for the ball, passing it to Shouyou who sent it back, but it went a little awry.

“Sorry, sorry,” Shouyou said as he ran to pick up the ball. Kageyama shrugged.

“Don’t mind,” he said. He started to take the ball back from Shouyou when he paused. “Here, I’ll help you with your stance.”

Shouyou didn’t have time to respond when Kageyama came behind him, one hand going to Shouyou’s hip as he held it to urge him to squat down. Shouyou felt the blood rushing to his face at the closeness of Kageyama’s presence. He was pure energy, thrumming at Shouyou’s spine. Something stirred deep within him. His knees wobbled slightly as he bent down and forward slightly, his weight settling on the balls of his feet. Kageyama’s other hand trailed down Shouyou’s arm as he moved it into a better position.

“Relax,” Kageyama breathed close to Shouyou’s ear, his voice unnecessarily quiet, as if there was something holding him still, some peace he didn’t want to break. “You can’t receive properly if you’re this tense.” His hand moved to Shouyou’s shoulder and back, as if that would help relieve Shouyou’s tension.

“Uhhuuh,” Shouyou muttered unintelligibly, as he felt Kageyama slowly withdraw. He wondered if it was hopeful thinking, or if he’d felt Kageyama’s fingers linger on the dip of his waist as he brought it away. Shouyou felt himself longing for Kageyama to come back and touch him, hold him, wanting for those fingers to trail all over his body, not just his arm and shoulders.

Shouyou’s eyes went to Kageyama’s face and he saw the ghost breathe out slowly, a light dusting of color on his cheeks. Kageyama’s eyes met his and Shouyou watched as Kageyama licked his lips. When did he start looking at Kageyama’s mouth? Shouyou wasn’t sure, but he realized that he didn’t want to stop unless it was because that mouth was pressed against his, or that tongue was licking inside him. Shouyou let out a shaky breath as he tried to shake himself out of whatever this _thing_ , _attraction_ was.

Kageyama cleared his throat, staring with intent at the volleyball. “Ready to go again?”

“Um, yeah!” Shouyou said with fake enthusiasm and his stomach flipped as he settled into position for their game.

* * *

It was a little amazing that he’s so beautiful, Shouyou realized as he watched Kageyama from the corner of his eye while they were watching a volleyball match. Kageyama had a good profile with a sharp nose and strong jawline that Shouyou wanted to drag his tongue across, and a long neck that Shouyou wanted to bite and mark.  _It’s also amazing how horny he makes me_ . Shouyou had never been that sexual, but there was something about Kageyama that made him want to be soiled.

In the time since they had gone to the park and Shouyou had realized that he really _was_ attracted to Kageyama, his feelings had deepened to the point that Shouyou was hyperaware of everything Kageyama. He noticed whenever Kageyama stood close to him, whenever Kageyama glanced at him, whenever Kageyama did something kind for him (like how Kageyama would sometimes make him tamago kake gohan for breakfast when Shouyou wasn’t feeling excited to go to work). Shouyou found himself staring at Kageyama’s hands absentmindedly more often than naught, wondering how they would feel intertwined with his and sometimes how they would feel around his dick. Shouyou found himself growing flustered during their teasing, not understanding why –they always teased each other, but lately it’s been almost on the edge of something, some precipice he wasn’t sure they would fall into, but he found himself anticipating it.

He thought he was probably sick, so he did what he usually did when he needed advice and called Kenma. (Their conversation had basically been:

“Kenma, how did you find out you loved Kuroo?”

“I don’t know, it just happened. Why?”

“No reason. But how did you _know_?”

“I just said I don’t. He kissed me and I kissed him back. It just happened.”)

He had played with the thought of calling Tsukishima but that was almost instantly abandoned. He’d known Tsukishima for the majority of his life and he had never once seen Tsukishima show an interest in someone unless it was to tease them and be rude.

So, with little to go on, Shouyou decided that he would just wait this crush out. It was too much to hope that Kageyama felt the same, so he wouldn’t (but he did).

Kageyama’s arm rested on the back of the couch, almost around Shouyou’s shoulders, and Shouyou found himself looking at the space next to Kageyama, wondering if this was an invitation to move closer. He moved his eyes to Kageyama’s face to see him looking at him at of the corner of his eye. Kageyama instantly moved his eyes back to the screen, but they didn’t seem to be focused and Shouyou could see the increased tension in the line of his shoulders. Maybe it _was_ an invitation? Shouyou gathered his courage before he scooted closer. He felt more than saw Kageyama relax, shifting his weight to settle deeper into the couch. Shouyou moved towards him until their thighs were pressed together and Shouyou marveled at how long Kageyama’s legs were.

Shouyou had always been a leg man.

There was a span of awkwardness as they both seemed to hold their breaths, wondering when the other would talk, wondering if one of them _should_ talk. After a while, the awkwardness abated and the two completely relaxed as they both became more engrossed in the game.

“Guwaa!” Hinata exclaimed at a particularly cool receive from a libero. He bounced a little and he felt Kageyama’s arm fall around his shoulders, and squeeze his upper arm. He looked over at Kageyama, a laugh on his tongue when he saw the way Kageyama’s eyes had zeroed in on his lips. Shouyou let out a breath, his mouth parting under the intensity and the close proximity of their faces. If he moved forward, Shouyou could finally kiss Kageyama. Shouyou didn’t have to as Kageyama closed the space, taking Shouyou’s mouth firmly in his lips.

Shouyou gasped and his eyes stared into Kageyama’s before they fluttered shut at the sensation of their mouths connecting. _I can’t believe I’m kissing a ghost_ , Shouyou thought before his mind promptly shut off. His hands find their way to Kageyama, one in the fabric of his shirt, the other on the back of his head, pulling him in closer. He felt Kageyama’s hand rest on his thigh move up to grab at his waist.

They pulled away, and Shouyou’s eyes opened slowly, meeting Kageyama’s eyes. Together, they leaned in, meeting mouths again. Kageyama’s hand slid underneath Shouyou’s shirt and he stroked up and down the dip of Shouyou’s waist, laying soft and quick pecks to Shouyou’s lips. Shouyou met him with each one, wanting to be closer, but unsure how he could. Kageyama pulled at his back and Shouyou moved with the motion, finding one of his knees in between Kageyama’s legs. There was something went against the seam of Shouyou’s lips and Shouyou gasped, feeling Kageyama’s tongue glide smoothly into his mouth. Shouyou’s tongue rose up, as if in defiance of Kageyama invading its territory when the two appendages slid against each other. Shouyou heard a deep, throaty noise, before he belatedly realized it came from him. Heat rose into his cheeks and he pulled away.

“Sorry, I,” he tried to start but Kageyama cut him off with a kiss to the junction of Shouyou’s neck and jaw.

“No, I liked it,” Kageyama muttered, licking his way back into Shouyou’s mouth. Shouyou obliged, surging up to meet him. Kageyama made a hum in response, holding Shouyou close.

They continued on for a while until they started to come down from their high, the kisses turning softer and lingering than passionate and fast. Shouyou finally pulled away from Kageyama’s mouth as a heavy and happy feeling filled him to the brim. Kageyama’s arms wound around Shouyou and Shouyou rested his head against Kageyama’s chest.

Shouyou fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

As the days since then passed, Shouyou was greeted in the mornings with a kiss and a “go brush your teeth, dumbass” and he went to sleep with Kageyama nuzzling his neck and Shouyou couldn’t be happier. He understood Kenma now.

Loving Kageyama just _happened_. There was no decision, it developed without Shouyou even realizing. They slipped into their new relationship almost naturally, like it was meant to be. Of course, Shouyou knew that it wasn’t. Kageyama was on the way to death. It had been about three months and a half months since Kageyama had first appeared, and he hadn’t returned to his body yet. Shouyou might not be the brightest, but he knew that it would only be so long until Kageyama’s family decided to pull the plug.

He hadn’t really thought about it before, but he would be destroyed of Kageyama’s soul disappeared.

And he was worried, because Kageyama seemed _weaker_ somehow, like the volleyball wasn’t give him as much energy anymore. He was lethargic and he stopped moving around as much, waited for Shouyou to initiate contact, and even then, he was never able to keep going for long before he had to de-manifest himself.

Did this mean his body was dying, because all of Kageyama’s energy came from it?

Shouyou was scared to know.

It’s weird when someone comes into your life and takes up your attention and becomes so ingrained within you that the thought of them not being there makes you want to die too. Shouyou had never really understood that feeling when he’d watched movies and read books (he did that sometimes, contrary to popular (Tsukishima’s) belief), but he might be feeling something similar, something that could grow into that.

When Shouyou woke up, a week and a half after he and Kageyama had kissed for the first time, he was welcomed by near silence and the faded, almost transparent outline of Kageyama.

“Kageyama,” Shouyou breathed quieter than he’d ever been in his entire life. Kageyama looked at him with fear.

“This is all I can do,” his voice was shaky, and Shouyou was reminded of how it sounded through the EVP recorder. “The ball, it doesn’t have any more energy.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know.”

“Kageyama, don’t die.”

“I can’t promise that.”

Shouyou opened his mouth and closed it, crushing the urge to yell. He couldn’t blame Kageyama for this. There wasn’t anyone to blame. It was just timing. He wondered what it would have been like for them to have met when Kageyama was actually alive, with a future ahead of him, instead of as a soul with a dying body.

“Don’t cry, dumbass,” Kageyama said, his voice a shade quieter than it had been before. Shouyou hadn’t recognized the wetness on his face as tears.

“I’m not crying,” Shouyou protested but he sniffed loudly and his voice was thick.

“I’m sorry,” Kageyama’s face was drawn and his eyes were helpless and sad. Shouyou rubbed his eyes harshly and shook his head. He closed his eyes as he tried to keep his emotions under control (Shouyou had never been good at that, he was highly reactive and a very sensitive person). He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes again to tell Kageyama that he shouldn’t be sorry, that it was okay, and that he couldn’t do anything about it.

But Kageyama was gone.

* * *

For what it was worth, Tsukishima could be a really good friend when the time came. His arms were wrapped tight around Shouyou as he allowed Shouyou to cry into his shirt and spill his guts about how much he was going to miss Kageyama and how much Kageyama had meant to him.

“He was already a ghost,” Tsukishima said, unsure of how to comfort Shouyou. Shouyou cried louder.

“But now he’s completely gone because, because N-Nishinoya said that,” his breath shuddered and another violent sob wracked his body, “Nishinoya said that his body was still alive and that’s why he was here.”

Tsukishima was quiet for a moment before he took a deep breath, like he was going to say something, but he stopped. He held Shouyou tighter and rubbed his back as the smaller boy cried his eyes out.

After the tears had abated, Shouyou slipped into a despondent mood, walking through life without the joy he had always possessed. He resented the happy people he would see and found himself looking jealously as Suga would flirt with Daichi, the manager of the gym, because why couldn’t he and Kageyama have had _that_. Why had they had to meet when Kageyama was dying? Why couldn’t he be alive so they could be happy?

He hated the way that Oikawa would joke around with everyone, with a smile on his face, because Shouyou used to smile, but now he can’t.

He hated the way that Kenma and Kuroo were able to love each other freely and live together without one of them being dead.

He hated the way that Kunimi was able to not care about anything because Shouyou cared _so fucking much_. Maybe that was why he felt this way, because he _cared_ too much. Shouyou wished he didn’t care at all, but he did.

Shouyou hated that he cared.

Shouyou hated that he loved.

Shouyou hated himself.

One night, he went into a rage because he couldn’t get the fucking rice cooker to work because he’d never gotten it fixed after that one time Kageyama had broken it. And thinking about the rice cooker made him think of Kageyama and he got angry and he didn’t _mean_ to cut up his hands with the shards of glass from his cups and plates when he’d thrown them against the counter.

Suga had taken one look at the Band-Aids covering his hands and the giant bruises on his arms from when he’d hit himself for crying and wrapped him into a hug, trying to tell him that it would be okay, but Shouyou pushed him away because it _wouldn’t_.

Sometimes, his grief and anger confused him, because he wasn’t sure why Kageyama was affecting him like he was. Why had he let Kageyama have this power over him? Why did he let Kageyama _do_ this to him?

Why couldn’t he hate Kageyama?

There was a knock on the door one morning, waking Shouyou up from where he had fallen asleep on the couch. Shouyou opened it up to see Nishinoya standing outside, a serious look on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Shouyou asked, his voice quiet and tired and a little broken.

Nishinoya looked him over. “I was told that you were having a rough time because your spirit is disappeared.”

Shouyou’s lip trembled. Nishinoya saying it brought some strange sense of finality that Shouyou hadn’t come to yet.

“He died, Nishinoya,” Shouyou whispered, closing his eyes. Nishinoya looked at him with sympathy.

“Do you know for sure?”

Shouyou opened his eyes again. “Yes, because he ran out of energy and disappeared.”

Nishinoya was quiet before he grinned a bit. “Did you ever check to see what happened to his body?”

“No,” Shouyou said. “I don’t want to see his body dead.”

“Well, maybe it’s not dead,” Nishinoya said. “His soul could have left because his body called it back to wake up from the coma.”

“Are you telling me that Kageyama is alive?” Shouyou’s eyes widened. Nishinoya shrugged, averting his eyes.

“Maybe, it’s always a possibility.”

“I’m going to go to the hospital,” Shouyou said, running back into his apartment to rip through his _Volleyball Illustrated_ magazines to find the article about Kageyama. He remembered it had mentioned the hospital he was in, but Shouyou had never really paid attention to that.

“Um, Hinata,” Nishinoya called. “I have to warn you before you go, that Kageyama might not remember what happened when his soul was out of his body.”

Shouyou paused. “So he might not remember me?”

Nishinoya nodded. “He might not remember you. But there’s always the off chance that he could. There have been cases of that before.”

Shouyou stared at the words _Datekou Medical Hospital_ , chewing on his bottom lip in thought. He took a deep breath, steeling himself.

“Well, what if he _does_ remember me? I have to know,” Shouyou said with determination. Nishinoya grinned at him.

“That’s the spirit! You go get him, Shouyou!”

With excitement, Shouyou ushered Nishinoya out and ran to go to the local hospital. Datekou Medical Hospital was a large building, and Shouyou had become acquainted with the staff due to his degree path (he wanted to be a physical therapist and had worked under the tutelage of one of the therapists at the hospital, Tanaka Ryuunosuke). He ran to the desk, glad to see a familiar face.

“Aone, is there a Kageyama Tobio here?” he asked. The tall white-haired man looked at him, and Shouyou understood from his expression that Aone wasn’t allowed to tell him that. “Please, I really need to know.”

Aone seemed to weigh his options before typing something into his computer, he turned the screen around and pointed to a room number for Shouyou to see. Shouyou grinned at him.

“Thanks, Aone! I’ll make this up to you!”

Shouyou ran off, thinking that the elevator would be too slow, and jumped up the stairs to the fourth floor where he knew Kageyama’s room would be. He burst out of the door, slamming into a doctor in green scrubs.

“Hinata?” the doctor asked, pushing his long bangs behind his ear. Shouyou scrambled off of him.

“Sorry, Futakuchi, gotta go!”

He stopped when he got to the door, panting slightly. He stared at the handle and will his hand to grasp it, but he couldn’t. He wanted to see Kageyama, but he was suddenly filled with the fear that Kageyama wouldn’t know him. What would he say? Sorry, wrong room? If he went in now, and Kageyama did forget him, would they ever be able to fall in love again?

A hand clamped on his shoulder and Shouyou looked up to see Futakuchi. Futakuchi wore a harsh expression. “Hinata, this is a restricted area. You can’t be here.”

Shouyou was quiet and Futakuchi started to develop a more worried look at his unresponsiveness. Shouyou cleared his throat.

“Can I see him?” he asked, gesturing to the door.

“Do you know him?”

“Yes,” Shouyou said. Futakuchi’s mouth twisted to the side before he let out a breath of air.

“Okay, I’ll let you go in, but he’s in a fragile state right now, and we don’t need him to get too excited.”

Shouyou nodded, feeling relieved when Futakuchi opened the door to let him in. Shouyou steeled himself as he saw the body lying on the bed.

“I don’t need anything, you can go away,” came Kageyama’s feeble voice. Shouyou’s stomach flipped. He knew that voice so well. He’d heard so many _sounds_ in that voice.

“You have a visitor,” Futakuchi said. Kageyama was quiet.

“Who is it?”

Futakuchi looked at Shouyou and Shouyou took a step forward, allowing Kageyama to see him. Kageyama’s dark eyes followed the lines of Shouyou’s face and body and Shouyou felt more exposed than he’d ever had in his life. Nerves built in his stomach as he waited for Kageyama to say something, _anything_ and as he realized that _there he was_. Real. Alive. Right in front of him.

Recognition sparked in Kageyama’s eyes.

“ _You_ ,” he said, squinting. “I _know_ you. Why do I know you, but not _remember_ you?”

“Oh,” Shouyou looked at the ground, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. So Kageyama didn’t remember him. He should have known it wouldn’t work out.

“I don’t remember you, but I _know_ you,” Kageyama repeated. “You make tea wrong and you’re clumsy and you think I’m an asshole and your favorite thing to eat is tamago kake gohan.”

Shouyou’s eyes snapped back up to Kageyama’s confused face. “My name is Hinata Shouyou.”

Kageyama nodded, taking in those words. “Hinata… _Shouyou_. Why are you crying?”

Shouyou’s fingers flew up to his eyes and he felt the wetness there. He shook his head. Kageyama reached out a hand and Shouyou came forward, allowing Kageyama to grab one of his hands. He examined it.

“What happened?”

“I accidentally broke some dishes,” Shouyou whispered. Kageyama gave him a smirk.

“See, I knew you were clumsy.”

Shouyou felt a laugh break out of him and he sniffed, clearing his throats. Kageyama knew him, even though he didn’t remember their time together. “Yeah, I guess I’m pretty clumsy.”

“Hinata,” Futakuchi called his attention, “you need to leave. My shift is almost over and the other doctor will have a fit if he finds you in here.”

Shouyou reluctantly pulled his hand away from Kageyama with a slow nod.

“Wait,” Kageyama said, his cheeks starting to redden. He averted his eyes. “I don’t like feeling confused, so give me your number.”

Shouyou’s eyes widened as he looked at Kageyama before his face broke out into a wide grin, wide enough to make his cheeks hurt.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll give you my number.”

Shouyou wrote it down and left, after promising Kageyama that he’d visit him again (something Futakuchi sighed about), feeling happy for the first time in a long time.

Even though they couldn’t have their past, Shouyou was overly excited for what would come in their future.

**Author's Note:**

> requested by colourlessfreak on tumblr
> 
> i was originally going to have kageyama really dead and then pass on, but then i decided to love myself and give them hope for a future together instead of giving hinata a hope for sadness
> 
> come hit me up at dont-call-me-king.tumblr.com
> 
> if you want me to write a fic, just send me an ask and i'll do it!
> 
> also, i'm sorry i killed yamaguchi. it just happened


End file.
